Hand grinder for condiment pellets



Aug. 1.6, 194.9.

D. D. BosTlcK HAND GRINDER FOR CONDIMENT PELLETS Filed Jan. 10, 1946 INVENTQR. Damon D 505' t: ck W M A TTDRNEYS Patented Aug. 16, 1949 1' JHI'UNIITED;STATE Damon n. Bostick, Figaro Company, 7 tion of Arizona I Application January 10, 1946 1 Claim. (01. 241- 1(38) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in hand grinders for condiment pellets.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved hand grinder particularly adapted to grind seeds, pellets and dried berries and the like, such as pepper berries from which ground pepper is produced.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved condiment grinder including a container having a bore with a grinding ring mounted in the bore and supported by a transverse hanger in said bore, together with a rotatable burr engaging in the ring and mounted on the hanger, whereby the ring and burr are mounted in the container in a new and novel manner.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a grinder constructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. .l is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4-. is a bottom view of the grinding ring, and

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the grinding burr and its arbor.

In the drawings, the numeral l designates an upright housing or container which is preferably square in cross-section, but may be of any suitable shape. This housing is preferably made of nonmetallic material, such as hard plastic or wood and has a cylindrical bore 1 I. The upper end of the bore is counter-bored to form an annular shoulder l2 for supporting a perforated disk I3 having a central opening M.

A grinding ring l has a snug sliding fit in the lower end of the bore l I and is held in place by a transverse wire hanger l6 which is generally U- shaped; the upright arms thereof being embedded in grooves I! in the surface of the bore. The hanger is formed with inwardly bent lugs l8 which overlie the top of the grinding ring. A cylindrical grinding burr I9 is concentrically disposed in the ring and is rotated by an axial shaft 20. The burr has a fiat bottom which rests upon an upwardly displaced cross bar 2|, forming part of the hanger. The uprights of the hanger also engage in vertical grooves 22 in the outer periphery of the ring l5, whereby said ring is held against rotation when the burr is turned.

The grinding ring has upright ribs 23 on its inner surface which are V- haped in cross-section 5 PAr-ENr orncs PELLETS I l)allas,-Tex., assignor to The Inc., Dallas, Tex., a c orpora- Serial No. 640,326 3 to give them vertical grinding edges 24 with flutes or valleys 25, therebetween. The lower inner edge of the ring is beveled inwardly and formed with radial flutes 26, whereby a circular grinding face 21 is formed. The burr l9 has a circular base 28 which rotates upon the hanger bar 21 and thereabove, an upwardly tapered shank 29. The upper side of the base is inclined to the shank to form a grinding face 30. The face 30 has radial flutes 3| and rotates in contact with the face 21 of the grinding ring.

The shank 29 of the burr is formed with upright ribs 32, which may be slightly inclined to a helical effect when the burr is rotated. The outer faces of these ribs are transversely curved outwardly to shoulders 33, whereby upright cutting edges 34 are formed. It will be seen that when pepper seeds or other frangible pellets are fed into the annular throat formed between the shank of the burr and the ring l5, they will lodge in the flutes 2B and be engaged by the shoulders 33, so that upon rotation of the burr they will be broken into small pieces by the cutting edges 34. Owing to the downward flare of the shank 29 and the in clination of the ribs 32, the broken pieces will be fed downwardly and broken into still smaller pieces, finally being ground between the faces 21 and 30.

The shaft 20 extends through a relatively thick cap 35, the cross-sectional shape of which conforms to that of the housing H). The shaft being angular in cross-section and having a snug fit in the cap, will be turned when the cap is rotated. The upper end of the shaft is reduced and formed with a screw-threaded stud 36 which receives a cap nut 31. By tightening the nut against the top of the cap the burr is drawn into the ring and said cap is rotatably confined in the housing. The cap not only forms a closure for the housing but an operating member for the burr. When nut and cap are removed for filling the housing, the bar 2| retains the burr in the housing.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shapeand materials, as well as the details of the illustrated construction, may be made, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A hand grinder for condiment pellets including, a container having an upright bore continuous from the lower end of the container to the upper portion thereof, a grinding ring having a snug sliding fit in the lower end of the container bore and provided with a beveled grinding face at its bottom, the bore of the container having diametrically opposite grooves extending upwardly from its lower end,

grooves registering with the grooves of the bore,

the grinding ring having vertical 7 a transverse hanger engaging in the grooves of the bore and the ring, a burr having an outwardlydirected annul arbase supported 6n the hanger and provided "with a grindingfaee engaging the face of the ring, an upright shank forming part of the burr and extending upwardly through the ring, said shank having upright groovesya shaft extending upwardly through the container bore from the shank, and a rotatable eap on the container and secured "to the shaft.

DAMION D. BOSTICK.

REFERENCES CTTED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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